Date of Graduation

8-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science Education

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Health, Human Performance and Recreation

Advisor/Mentor

Gray, Michelle R.

Committee Member/Reader

Hammig, Bart

Committee Member/Second Reader

Henry, Leah J.

Abstract

Abstract

The Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education offers a unique approach and program designed to teach their students how to care for an older adult in the home. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the in-home assistant course on the participant’s confidence levels. It was hypothesized that the confidence levels of the students that enrolled in the in-home assistant training course would increase with the completion of the 40-hour course and that demographic factors such as gender, age, and economic background would impact the levels of confidence. This study was conducted by the use of pre-course and post-course surveys that were completed by the participants enrolled in the course. The pre- and post-surveys consisted of 10 identical questions having the options of “excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor” as responses. A total of 17 students participated in the study. The surveys were conducted in the months of March and April 2016. The responses were inputted on a scale of 1 to 5 in order to quantitatively measure differences. Repeated measures ANOVA determined any differences between pre- and post- surveys with a statistical significance set at .05. Out of the 10 questions, eight were found to be statistically significant. It was determined that the confidence levels of the participants enrolled in the IHA course did increase with the completion of the course, which corresponded with the hypothesis. Due to the small sample size, gender, age, and income were found to have no effect on confidence levels. The results of this study can aid both the instructors and the administrators at the Schmieding Center to understand the importance of confidence throughout the courses in order to educate and produce better in-home caregivers.

Keywords: Schmieding Center, caregivers, levels of confidence, and in-home assistant, and all related derivatives.

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